pipemakersforum.com

One area of concern would be whether you detect an odor or taste.Your mention of volatiles leeching out raises this question. Mike Butera said that he could taste stuff in various commercial shellac preparations. I certainly am unable to do that but I will take his word for it. DocAitch No smell at...

It's kinda sticky shit... It makes me wonder if the open end of the plastic-wrapped block should be contact covered with plastic between uses (something solvent-y chemical must "leave" it for the transformation from soft to hard to occur, right?), and also makes me wonder what the shelf l...

That's only when going from the "ground up" with a new or refinished bowl. Starting from zero. To refresh the wax on an existing finish, I'll clean it with a really slow-spinning hard(ish) buff that's been touched with a stab of red compound, then the heavy hit of wax, the heat, and a high...

Yes, it was a dark colored smooth.

I've tried it since on a deep tan blast, as well. Same result: Hand feel is more like a dried oil finish than wax, and there's a sparkle + color depth enhancement thing happening.

Alrighty then. The wax did not get cloudy, fingerprint-y, or anything like that from being handled at smoking temperatures. Smoked the pipe twice, and deliberately smeared/handled the stummel more than usual. The end "feel" of the microcrystal stuff is more like a cured finish than wax. Me...

Nope, didn't know it was available. Will be interested to hear what happens. All righty, then. I got two one pound blocks for $19. Used a new, stiff (spiral stitched) 8" wheel, spun it up pretty high (estimate 3000 rpm), heavily loaded it with the stuff, and went to town on a finished stummel ...

The more I think about it the more curious I am, and the more I think it would work well on pipes.

I bleeve I'm gonna get some a give it a test drive.

I'll report back.

Used like Carnauba, in other words. It's generally available, not expensive, and by all accounts is The Shit for wooden objects in general. Never heard of a pipe guy messing with it, though... https://www.amazon.com/Blended-Waxes-Inc-Microcrystalline-Sculpting/dp/B07PF1F3HV/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=Cj0...

Fun stuff. In my case I've pushed the boundaries at each end. Coarser and faster when doing bulk material removal; and slowing to a crawl with 220 grit to see how close I can get to finished dimensions with a machine before hand-tooling it. For some reason this discussion reminds me of all the slack...

Interesting. Sounds like the entire situation depends on the exact models of things used in a certain combination. If it works, it works, in other words; and if it doesn't, well... it didn't. lol My shop has two VFDs---one on a belt grinder, the other on a bench motor---and while spendy, those thing...

Odd man out. Go to harbor freight, find the 9 inch angle grinder then with a 9" backing pad for sanding discs using PSA Sanding disc's. Search on line for a speed controller for angle grinders. Put it altogether and create a mount for it. Buy discs from Klingspor woodworking. End result, CHEAP...

caskwith wrote: ↑Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:18 am Pfft, French wheels.

Would you like 'em better if they were called English wheels?

Yeah, it's a fussy business. Try cutting more flaps, pull tighter when folding the flaps over, and using masking tape instead of duct tape to allow re-positioning when needed. Also, the garnet paper you are using is probably the worst possible type to put on a wheel. The backing is thin and delicate...

Thought you PMF'ers might enjoy a look at it. The shank is boxwood. He calls it the Atlatl https://i.postimg.cc/8zZjXXdm/P1050868.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/CxkcjDj0/P1050871.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/rwWC3rFp/P1050874.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/sgT4Pcvt/P1050898.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/qqpNZPFQ/P105091...

That's quite a nice piece of wood. (There could be a fatal flaw waiting for you inside, of course, but that's part of the game.) If I was in your situation, I'd get a couple low-grade blocks to experiment with / practice on before messing with the one in the pic. Briar is tough stuff, and doesn't &q...

That's a bit like saying the secret to winning auto races is to build the fastest car.

Which of the 3,855 forms and 196 application methods are you referring to?

Easier and far less messy: Heavily overload a hard-stitched wheel with a block of carnauba, then "mash buff" the stummel into it. All over. Everywhere. Hard pressure. The nooks, crannies, and crevices will all get max-filled with friction-heated wax. (If a dark blast it'll look almost whit...

I didn't go, but am in regular contact with many who did. The consensus? An unqualified success that surprised many if not most. About 2/3 the number of tables and attendees as Pheasant Run, but that's not surprising given the international travel restrictions. Unless something unexpected happens be...

Whoa, George! That is a very pricey piece of machinery Indeed. I've had a lifelong rule: buy the best and cry only once. The only time I broke it was that POS lathe I inflicted on myself a decade ago. I talked myself into it and am now stuck with the damn thing for reasons too tedious to go into.